• By Deanna Kamienski, Beth Allan, Steven Muntner, Amanda Micklus, and Maureen Riordan
Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Venture Funding Deals column provides a monthly review of emerging In Vitro Diagnostic, Medical Device, and Pharmaceutical companies that have received venture funding. This month’s column covers deals announced February through March 2016.
Arvinas and Pfizer have just filed the potential first-in-class protein degrader vepdegestrant, but its diminished commercial prospects after mixed Phase III data mean Pfizer could exit.
As the patent protection clock ticks down on Merck’s flagship blockbuster Keytruda, the company is reported to be pursuing the inflammation and immunology biotech. Such a move would bulk up its sparse I&I pipeline.
Pursuing first-in-class molecular glue degraders using undruggable targets could eventually help Degron Therapeutics land sizable asset-based deals, CEO Lily Zou tells Scrip.
In this week's episode: Sanofi’s Blueprint buy; AstraZeneca’s breast cancer resistance results at ASCO; BMS and BioNTech’s big bispecific deal; Kymera’s Dupixent in a pill; and Degron’s CEO on pipeline and strategy.